ECO-FRIENDLY LAUNDRY HABITS
A simple household chore like laundry can affect the environment adversely. Waste water, chemical and synthetic wastes, microplastic pollutants, energy mismanagement are a few among the many factors. Did you know that the machine dryer is the second most energy-consuming appliance in a household? We encourage you to develop green laundry habits in your everyday life. Do so and the nature will thank you for it.
Here are some Eco-Friendly habits you may observe.
1. Choose Your Products wisely
Be informed about your laundry products shopping decision. Generally, most detergents, bleach, stain removers, and fabric softeners carry harmful chemicals in them. Instead, go for natural products that do not contain any synthetic dyes, fragrances and brighteners. Go for products that are plant made (not petroleum-based), biodegradable, and environment friendly. Take the effort in reading the fine lines on the product packaging whenever possible.
2.MAKE YOUR OWN LAUNDRY PRODUCTS
You can even consider making your laundry products at your home with natural ingredients. In order to make your own detergent you will need:
- Borax
- Washing Soda (Not Baking Soda)
- 1 shaved bar soap
Mix 2 parts borax, 2 parts washing soda and 1 parts shaved bar soap and make a powder. Use 3 tablespoons per wash load, one tablespoon in case you have a high efficiency washing machine. Store your mix in an air tight container and keep it dry.
White vinegar is known to be an efficient fabric softener and lemon juice as bleach. These practices not only environmentally friendly but also pocket friendly. There’s no reason for a delay! These are some good habits for laundry.
3. Wash With Cold water
Here’s a fact you didn’t know. 90% of energy is used up in heating the water for washing clothes through your washing machine. Your clothes will be cleaned just fine if washed in cold water. If you feel the clothes are too soiled then soak them in normal water for an hour. You may add few tablespoons of washing soda to lose the dirt. Now turn the dial to cold.
4. WEAR YOUR CLOTHES MORE THAN ONCE
Not all clothes you wear are needed to be washed after every use. Here’s a list of clothes and their washing rules:
- Dresses – after 1-2 use
- Pajamas – after 3-4 uses
- Skirt, Pants, Shorts – after wearing 3- 4 times
- Bath Towels – 3-5 uses
- Jeans – after wearing 5-6 times
- Undergarments – do not re-use
- Sportswear – after single-use
- T-Shirts – after every wear
- Bedsheets – Every two weeks
You should sun dry some of your clothes like bath towels, bras, or any clothing only used for a few hours. Sunlight is a natural disinfectant. It’ll make your clothes smell fresher and cleaner in a matter of few hours.
Quick Tip: Sun dry your clothes inside out so they won’t lose their colour.
5. WASH FULL LOADS
Try saving up your laundry to wash full loads at once instead of small loads in bits. It’s the most efficient way of doing your laundry. It will help in saving water, saving on electricity bill and decreasing microplastic pollutants from your clothes. In case of a front load machine, 75% of the space is a full load.
6. UPGRADE TO ENERGY-EFFICIENT MACHINES
If you’re planning on buying a new washing machine for yourself, choose a high efficiency (HE) washing machine. An HE machine will help you save water, save electricity and lower your bills. These come in both varieties Top loading and front loading. We recommend buying a front loading. It will save water more than its counterpart.
7. CUT DOWN ON DRYING TIME
Try cutting down on dryer time or give it up completely. Here’s how it’s going to benefit you:
- Clothes lose less fibers
- They last longer
- They smell fresher
- Reduces your carbon footprint
Line drying is the best way to dry out your washed clothes. Line drying can be done indoors or outdoors. A variety of styles are available in the market, choose whichever suits you the best and let your clothes breathe fresh air. If you still would like to use the dryer then remove the lint from the dryer link filter. after every wash. This way it will work with maximum efficiency.
Quick Tips: Bath towels can feel crunched up with line drying. Use a homemade detergent or cut down on your chemical detergent. Adding a cup of white vinegar in the final rinse cycle make your bath towels softer like ever.
- AVOID DRYER SHEETS
Drying sheets are made of a cocktail of chemicals that are unhealthy for your clothes and you.
This chemical cocktail in the dryer sheets creates a layer in the lint filter of the dryer. The dryer starts to accumulate lint wash after wash and building a sticky filter. For this reason, cleaning the lint from the filter can be a problem. You may also observe your clothes are covered in lint when taken out. This is because there is no space left for the air to pull it out anymore.
These are some Eco-friendly laundry habits.
With that being said, Dhobi G is a go-to help for anything related to laundry. You may browse many more similar tips at https://blog.dhobig.com/. Visit Dhobi G at www.dhobig.com. Make sure to check them out on Facebook as well at https://www.facebook.com/DhobiGOnline/. Making your laundry at home are good habits.